


Avatar: The College Days

by profoundwattage



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Eventual Katara/Zuko (Avatar), F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:55:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24429094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/profoundwattage/pseuds/profoundwattage
Summary: As part of a peace deal Firelord Iroh made with the other nations, Ba Sing Se University was expanded to include teachings of all the nations so that the younger generation can learn from and interact with one another.Zuko and Azula have been enrolled for a year. Both hellbent on power and popularity, to prove that the Fire Nation is the best one just like their father wanted.But in their second year, Zuko's closed-off and power hungry approach begins to change once he meets a girl from the Southern Water Tribe in the Orientation group he's leading.And so the Gaang's college adventures ensues*All the kids are at least 18 years old
Relationships: Aang & Zuko (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Iroh & Ozai (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	Avatar: The College Days

Ozai was seething with rage. Just as he’d been for years. It was bad enough his father croaked an early death before he could change his will, but his damn foolish brother actually _returned_ to take the throne. So much changed since Iroh's coronation. Too much if you asked Ozai. His first order of business was to end the war and negotiate a peace between the four nations. A sick tea-loving peace! He couldn't fathom how a man with that much power in his hands could let it slip away to waste just like that. And all because his son died? Please, if Ozai could he'd get rid of his disgrace of a son. All of this raced across the man's mind as his footsteps echoed loudly in the throne room. His brother had requested his presence for an important meeting. A meeting about what? Ozai didn't know, but he was soon to find out.

"Brother, thank you for coming. Tea?" Iroh smiled, lifting up a small teacup towards Ozai. He was dressed in the Firelord robes, the very robes that should've been Ozai's. He was sitting on the throne with a wall of fire surrounding him. The same throne that should've been Ozai's. He hated his brother for his waste of power, for bringing such massive dishonor on the Fire Nation with his shocking surrender. But he was the Firelord and Ozai wasn't one to squander any potential of power, so if he had to feign his respect in the meantime then so be it.

"Sure...thank you." The words came out strained, but they came out nonetheless.

"Wonderful!" Iroh poured a cup of hot jasmine tea and handed it to his brother. Ozai pretended to take a sip and smiled back at the man he resented. When Iroh turned his back to pour his own cup of tea, Ozai dumped the rest of his on the ground behind his shoulder.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of the Firelord's presence?"

"Please, I told you you don't have to call me the Firelord or Firelord Iroh, just Iroh or brother is fine!" Iroh gave a heartily big-bellied laugh as he patted him on the shoulder. This only brought a scowl on Ozai's face for but a brief moment. His brother even treated the title of Firelord with such careless disrespect. "I trust you're aware that as part of the terms for peace we negotiated all those years ago-"

 _That_ **_you_ ** _negotiated._ Ozai snarled in his mind. His face didn't betray a single word of thought.

"-that a university in which the four nations could coalesce, learn from, and interact with each other was a vital pillar for peace. I wish for my nephew and niece to attend and help restore the honor of the Fire Nation among their generation. It’d be good them, don’t you think brother?”

“Iroh, I really don’t think-” Ozai began to protest. What a ridiculous idea! _His_ children mingling about with those inferior nations?

“Too bad, they’re my bloodline and it’s a show of good faith in this era of peace I’m trying to build and maintain.” The hands of the Firelord held his tea cup gently as he slowly heated the tea from his palms. “Besides, it’ll be good for them to make new friends. And maybe they can also learn how to make delicious tea!” Iroh exclaimed with a big smile on his face.

Ozai remained silent. It took every fiber of his being not to blast his stupid brother in the face with all the fire he could muster.

“Then it’s settled! Tell Zuko and Azula it’s their lucky day, they’re off to Ba Sing Se University!”

“Ba Sing Se?! That’s where the new University is?” Ozai was shocked. The place of his brother’s greatest military feat was turned into his greatest defeat and shame. 

“Well, technically it’s still the same Ba Sing Se University, but it’s been expanded to include schools of the other three nations as well! Isn’t that just great?” Iroh was beaming at this supposed ‘success’. Ozai was not.

“It’s...something, brother. May I be excused to tell my kids the news?”

“Yes you may be excused to tell them the _great_ news!” Iroh gulped down the last of his tea and gave a sigh of relief. “It’s always a pleasure to have tea with family.”

Ozai bowed curtly and left the throne room. 

Iroh glanced down at the spilled tea on the floor and sighed, the sadness of their family dynamic weighing down on him in that moment. “...even if they don’t appreciate the tea.”

Ozai walked through the halls of the Firelord’s palace and out across the garden into his home. His wife Ursa died a few years back to illness, leaving him the single father of two children. One in Azula who made him unbelievably proud and the other who regularly disappointed him. Zuko reminded Ozai too much of his mother. Weak and pathetic both in power and will. 

“Children, I have some..news to tell you.”

“Ooh, please tell me Uncle finally stuffed himself to death and you’re taking the throne, father!” Azula perked up with glee at the thought.

“No..it seems your Uncle wants you both to attend..university.”

“A private institution for only the best and brightest firebenders?” Azula inquired.

“I’m afraid not, child. A public school. Ba Sing Se University. As you’re aware part of my brother’s pitiful surrender was to establish a school for all the nations to come together in a pipe dream fantasy of peace.” Ozai rubbed the ridge of his nose in frustration at the thought. “But if he’s going to make my own children go to a public school surrounded by inferior commoners of other nations, then I want my children to be the very best no matter the cost. Understood?”

“Yes, father.” Azula replied with a small grin before she performed an illustrious display of firebending. Her blue flames nearly reached the ceiling.

But when Zuko tried to show off his bending and impress his father, he stumbled while doing so and fell on the floor. Azula tried her best to contain her giggle and had to be content with her trademark smirk. 

“Pitiful, Zuko. Azula, you did a marvelous job. Go and pack your things. It seems Zuko here still needs time to learn a lesson.”

Azula bowed and exited the room before returning and hiding behind one of the curtains to peek at what Zuko’s punishment for failure would be.

“Father, I’m sorry. I can do better, it was a mistake!” Zuko pleaded.

“ **Silence.”** Ozai commanded before conjuring up flames in each hand. “Before you attend school, let me show you what _real_ firebending looks like.” Zuko’s father shot the flames out in every direction, purposely making it so Zuko couldn’t avoid the fire that hit his face. “Let that be a reminder that failure is not an option. Dishonor is not an option!” Ozai took out the anger he had towards Iroh out on his own son, and he didn’t regret any of it even over the sounds of his son’s screams of agony. “The Fire Nation is the superior one, and I won’t have you make us into even more of a laughingstock than your fat oaf uncle already has!”

And Azula was there to see every minute of it, a smile of glee from ear to ear.

* * *

Zuko couldn’t stop pulling at his shirt collar. His Uncle had sent over a tuxedo for him to wear. It even came with a bowtie. Who wore bowties?! Zuko sure as hell didn’t. But out of kindness and respect for his uncle, he put on the outfit. Today marked the first day of the second year for the university. Orientation week would begin with a tour around the school’s facilities. Luckily enough, or unluckily enough, Uncle Iroh chose Azula and Zuko to be Orientation Leaders. This was a reward for how well both had been in school. Continuously receiving high marks in their classes and being active in their community. Well, Azula was a bit more active than Zuko. He was still finding his feet when it came to others. In fact, Azula had come to start calling Zuko a nerd for how religiously he studied instead of going out.

“Are you ready, brother?” Azula walked up behind Zuko with a small smirk plastered on her face. The same annoying smirk that always got Zuko on edge. “This is a momentous day! We get to introduce so many new losers into this hellhole. Aren’t you excited?”

“No.” The boy tousled his hair in the mirror as he observed his reflection, nitpicking at the outfit. “I just want this week to be over, then I can get back to my studies and earn high marks once again.”

“I must earn good grades so I can fall in good graces with my father and restore my honor!” Azula mocked in her best Zuko impression. 

“Shut up, Azula. Not in the mood.” Zuko rolled his eyes, trying not to wince at the residual pain in his scar.

Azula, as though she was already getting bored of the conversation, twirled her hair in her hand. “Oh that’s right, I forgot dear brother, what is it this time? The third or fourth time you and Mai have broken up?”

“I said shut up!” Zuko shouted, blasting back a ring of fire. Azula easily ducked, smirking all the while. She knew exactly how to rile her brother up, and she enjoyed every minute of it. “Now leave my apartment!” The young prince glared at his sister in the mirror. 

“Fine, fine.. Just don’t be late to the orientation. Uncle _and_ Father will be there.” And with that, Azula left, leaving Zuko alone in his apartment.

Zuko gingerly laid a finger on the scar his father had left on his face a year ago. He needed to be the best, no matter what or who got in his way. If he was to one day claim the throne he couldn’t be a laughingstock, he couldn’t be weak, he couldn’t be a failure. He had to be perfect for his father. If that meant not having any friends, so be it. It was his destiny to take the throne. He would see to that. But first he’d have to rise to the top of this school to show that he could be the man at the top of the ladder.

Locking the door behind him, the young man left his apartment and made his way to the main auditorium where the new students were assembling. Along the way Zuko heard scattered chatter.

“Did you hear? He’s actually here!”

“I can’t believe I’ll be going to the same school as _him!”_

“Do you think he’ll know more than the professors at the Air Nomad schools given he’s actually an airbender?”

What? Did Zuko hear that correctly? An airbender student? He thought they were all extinct in the war..

“Well I’m sure he’ll know a lot of stuff since he’s the Avatar!”

Zuko’s eyes widened in shock. He was so shocked at what he just heard that he stopped dead in his tracks just outside the auditorium. Inside was the Avatar. Now he felt threatened. For if anyone was going to get in his way, it would be a powerful bender such as the Avatar. He tightened his fist and gritted his teeth as he decided, he was going to beat this kid at everything. He refused to surrender his top status to some kid airbender. Zuko didn’t even know what this guy looked like, but he knew he was his enemy.

He made his way inside the auditorium and took a seat on stage alongside the headmasters and other Orientation Leaders, including Mai. Awkwardly there wasn’t a seat left except for the one next to her. Not wanting to make a scene, Zuko sat down and twiddled his thumbs unsure of what to say. He could feel the tension between the both of them.

“Hey Zuko.” Mai spoke nonchalantly. She was wearing a beautiful black and red sundress that complimented her hair and lipstick flawlessly.

“H-Hey..You uh, you look nice.” Zuko sheepishly looked at her, only to be met with a glare.

“I know.” was all the girl had to say before looking ahead.

Soon enough his uncle took the stage along with the Earth king and leaders of the water tribes. Zuko spotted his father in the guest section with the same scowl of disappointment he always wore. 

“It’s with great pleasure and honor that we introduce all of you new fine students to our institution! Ba Sing Se University…”

Zuko tuned the announcements out, he was too focused on identifying the Avatar somewhere in the crowd. But alas he couldn’t find him. Of course it wasn’t like there would be a giant sign that said ‘HERE IS THE AVATAR’. He sighed and slumped down in his chair, only to sit straight back up when he saw the anger creeping in on his father’s face. 

_Stay perfect. Remember, failure is not an option._ Zuko reminded himself in his head.

“-and now you’ll all be split up into groups led by our finest students, your Orientation Leaders! Each group will be headed by two leaders and embark on a tour around the college. With that, look at the cards you received when you entered and go to the leaders holding signs of the same insignia on your card.”

Iroh handed out signs to pairs of leaders. Zuko was paired up with...Mai. As if this day couldn’t get any worse. He and Mai held up their sign and waited for new students to approach them. They counted the number of students and found there was still one more missing. It was at that moment a girl ran up to their group.

“Hi! Sorry, it was hard to see across the room.” The girl explained, slightly out of breath from running around the auditorium. She seemed really excited to be at the school. 

“Whatever. Let’s get going.” Mai rolled her eyes and turned to head the group out of the auditorium and begin their tour. Zuko couldn’t take his eyes off the last girl. She had stunning blue ocean eyes and beautiful wavy hair with loops at the front. 

“What are your names and where are you from?” He asked the group while they walked. The kids introduced themselves one by one, until finally it was the girl’s turn.

“I’m Katara, from the Southern Water Tribe” She gave a small smile in Zuko’s direction.

“Nice to meet you all.” Zuko said, giving a small smile back towards Katara. “I’m Zuko.”

Mai glared at Zuko and Katara, noticing the smiles they were exchanging. “And I’m Mai.” As the group walked forward, she slowed her pace so she could be next to Katara and ‘accidentally’ trip her. “Oops, sorry, _Katara.”_

Zuko glanced back at the group and groaned. This was going to be an interesting tour, what with Mai next to him, and this new girl who was making him begin to reconsider his approach to college.


End file.
